Captain Has a New Family
by Aster Knight Sapphire
Summary: The past could never fade, and Law knew that. He long ago accepted it. There were just those times when its ugly face would pop up. Maybe it was because it had been years. Maybe because he had been stressing over it more than usual. Or maybe because he was tired of hiding it any longer. Whatever the case, Law found this time was unbearable.


**AN:** Well, I tried making a One Piece fic, and this is what I came up with. One-shot, most likely. I admire all those authors who get Law's character just right. Hope I did okay. Please enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the wonderful anime, One Piece.

 **Captain Has a New Family**

* * *

"Captain? Captain?"

Trafalgar Law sat hunched over his desk, absently staring at a medical book. Although, he had given up trying to focus on the words and had simply stayed on the same page for hours, too deep in thought. With his right arm placed on the desk, he lazily leaned his head on his hand. The other arm was lying on his leg. His fingers felt oddly cold from having no movement for some time. His body would probably feel sore once he stood, as he had not moved for hours. Or perhaps it was already sore since his mind was too far away to notice or care about such things.

There was a hot, sickening feeling in his stomach that he knew was there, but his mind never fully processed it. He was not sure if it was hunger or something else, though he had not taken the time to ponder over it. Either way it would not make a difference; he did not feel like eating. Actually he did not feel like doing anything. Or maybe he was just confused, for he did not know what exactly he wanted. His mind was stuck on a hazy trail that left him unable to register many things; such as the throbbing pain in his heart, the feeling of utter uselessness, and the feeling of wanting to end it all.

On any normal circumstances, the Heart Pirate captain would have been slightly miffed at the sight of three members of his crew entering his quarters without his consent. But the captain did not even take notice to them, just as he did not take notice to their numerous calls and knocks on his door. They could have went on for hours, and who knows if they had or not. Law's senses were dulled, shut off, as if to block out something awful. Something truly, truly awful. Only when he felt a weight on his shoulder did Law finally blink and turn his head to the left limply. Hazy eyes that had lost whatever color they once had stared into the face of a bear.

"Hey, Captain," Bepo managed softly as he removed his paw. Shachi and Penguin stood just behind him, both watching their captain with equal concern. Their captain was known for staying in his room for many hours. The crew had tried their best to break that habit with some success. But the surgeon still did it every now and then.

The three Heart pirates wished he would stop. They hated finding him in the gloomy state they usually found him in. The only source of light in the room was the small lamp on the doctor's desk, which was quite dim. It felt so empty in the dark room. The two men and bear tried not to grimace openly at their captain's state.

Dark shadows casted over his face, Law's exhausted condition only looked worse. He didn't even bother to hide it behind his intense gaze or sardonic smile. The dark circles under his eyes seemed darker and more pronounced. His trademark hat lay crooked on his head, leaning to the right, allowing some of his dark hair to be shown. Even in the faint light, it was obvious his thin body was stiff as he turned his chair to them.

Too many times. They had found their captain far too many times in a state of, of _emptiness_. It would start off subtly and slowly. A member of the crew would speak to Law about one the sub, or weather, or island. At first, they had thought it was just their imagination when their captain did not even take notice to his crew member's presence. It only needed to happen a second time for everyone to know something was amiss with their captain. He had keen senses and was well-aware of a person's presence from a far distance. What's more was that he had problems with being too close to someone (unless he was intimidating them or in battle). The crew had learned this from the very beginning. The Heart captain was not at all picky with picking crew members. All a person needed to do was be useful, follow orders to the best of their possibilities, and not intentionally harm any of their crewmates. But there was one big rule that needed to be upheld: The Heart captain would be given personal space.

Even when some Heart pirates had decided to not follow orders and stepped into their captains personal space, they could not get Law to answer a single sentence. All the doctor would do was stare at them with wide eyes like any minute they would murder him. The pirates stopped doing it because it was unnerving having their usual laid-back captain stare wildly. A few times they entered his personal space accidentally; those were the only times they had ever seen their captain visibly uncomfortable.

Gradually, however, Law allowed them to enter his bubble of space, though they could sometimes catch the way he would bite his lip and fidget with his fingers. So they went about it slowly, happy that their captain was trying.

In any case, the Heart crew immediately knew something was bothering their captain when he became absentminded. He would forget to order the injured pirates to take some rest when they clearly needed it. If he ever caught a wound, then he would never take notice of it until someone pointed it out. Then the closest to Law would go to his room and ask what was wrong. Always the captain would brush it off with a fake smile that usually held mischief. Quick witted, Law would take their attention elsewhere and would put on an act of being perfectly fine when he was so painfully not.

But Law did none of that now. He blinked again, and then once more, whether trying to push away his fatigue or simply express his surprise at the sight of his crew members, the Heart pirates were uncertain. The other pirates in the room even wondered if he was actually seeing them. His gray eyes looked so lost and far away.

"Bepo," he mumbled hoarsely, slowly moving his right hand to rub his eyes before letting it fall limply to his lap.

"Mind if I turn on the light, Captain?" Penguin asked slowly, though he was already reaching for the switch. Once the room became brighter, they all blinked a few times but quickly adjusted to the brightness.

Law, however, did not find that such an easy task. He winced at the pain it brought to his eyes and brought his hand back up to partly cover his eyes until they adjusted. Wearily frowning, Law looked back to his comrades but did not speak. If he noticed his crew members' faces becoming even more concerned, then he did not show it.

"...Haven't heard from you since we last fought some Marines, Capt," Shachi began, his face serious as he stared at his captain.

If he was hoping for an answer to that, then Shachi would be disappointed. The doctor did not want to talk to anyone. Then again, it may be better if he did. That way his mind would be distracted, and he would not remember it. The fire, the blood, the corpses, Lamy—everything.

His mouth pulled into a thin line, the pirate adjusted his hat, so it covered his eyes, blocking his sight from his crewmates' concerned gazes. A distraction would be nice, except Law had a feeling that would not go so well. So he resorted to keeping silent, eyes fixed on his lap. Normally the Heart captain would hide his problems from his crew. But—today—he could not do that. Today was the day it had all happened. The day Flevance was no more.

The Supernova had lived through this day many times with his crew. But he couldn't take it today. All his bottled up emotions were threatening to break through. With his comrades' sudden appearance, the surgeon found it difficult to remain composed. Flashes of his past kept showing up, even as he felt the intense stares of his fellow pirates.

Penguin took a hesitant step forward when their was no answer from Law. "What's wrong, Captain?" From his urgent tone, it was obvious he had been wanting to ask that for some time. They all had.

A question entered the Heart captain's mind; the same question that always had when these events occurred.

 _Why not just tell them?_

They were his trustworthy nakama after all. Amongst everyone in the Heart Pirates, they were the closest to him. But Law's survival nature would never allow it. What if they were caught and hurt because they knew too much? What if Doflamingo discovered his crew knew everything? He trusted them, but if they were to ever betray him, no matter how inconceivable that thought was, he would not be able to take it.

It was not that Law doubted his precious nakama. No, the Surgeon of Death was afraid. Afraid that he might be betrayed. Afraid that his comrades would be murdered because of him. That they would all die because of his incapability of saving them. Just like before.

The burning feeling in his stomach grew worse, and this time Law registered it. It was overwhelming—his body was bubbling with a strong urge that he did not know what to do with.

"Captain, we want an answer," Shachi asked urgently, breaking Law's train of thought. "A real answer; not like always."

"We'll listen. Please, Captain," Penguin pleaded.

"Captain." Bepo looked hopefully to the doctor who finally glanced their way.

Looking each of them over, Law realized they were determined to get an answer. The North Blue pirate's instincts told him to brush them off. To just order them to leave.

"Sit down."

Law's body had acted on its own. Despite his mind screaming for him to stop, he felt a wry smile tug at his lips when his crewmates visibly smiled to each other before quickly sitting on the ground. He did not want them to worry about him when it was his problems. They had their own life, a much better life than his. He would hate to ruin it. Taking a deep, shaky breath, he began his story.

"Lamy." That was the first word that left his mouth. Had the pirates not been listening eagerly, they would never have heard it due to how low the surgeon's voice was. But it puzzled them.

"Lamy?" Shachi repeated. Law had spoken the name so urgently yet with such emotion and care that Shachi could not help but press for answers.

"My sister. She was my baby sister." Law's voice sounded almost mad with rage and grief. He was not looking up from his lap, but they could see the wild look he carried.

"They _killed_ her. The World Government. They killed everyone. Destroyed _everything_."

Seeing their captain shake in pure agony and hatred made them want to destroy the twisted World Government. But they were left speechless when Law continued.

The entire time images of his past flooded his mind as all the pain he had kept to himself was told to the two men and bear. He kept his gaze on the floor, not trusting his willpower to be able to continue while watching his comrade's expressions (Penguin clenching his teeth angrily, Shachi grinding his hands into a fist, and Bepo staring wide-eyed in shock with his mouth open). His heart was pounding while the history of Flevance was being told, and he knew his hands were shaking.

Law's inner turmoil came bubbling up, and it showed when his voice held so much emotion, more emotion than the three Heart pirates had ever heard. When the sole survivor of Flevance finished, a strange sensation was growing inside him. He felt so heavy, the intense flurry of emotions over flooding his senses. At the same time, a weight had been removed from his being. Odd. He felt both anxious yet calm.

For years the doctor wished he could tell someone about the truth. About how he really felt. About how much it hurt him. His home and family were killed unjustly, all on a false rumor. His sister should not have died. His father should have cured her. There should never have been any wars. The World Government should have just come out and told the people of the White City! They should have reported that it was not contagious! Now he had finally answered to his heart's cries of sorrow.

Shakily, Law brought his hands up to his face, blocking away his audience's shocked faces. Warm tears trailed down his face, since when, he was not certain. He could clearly picture it. The beautiful white city with all its citizens living happily and the children laughing in the festivals. His father helping him with his studies and saying how proud he was to have such a wonderful son. His mother always telling him to have fun and giving him a smile that was irreplaceable, expressing genuine love.

Then his precious, baby sister: Lamy. He remembered the way she would always bounce around him, hoping to play with her brother. The cute, innocent smiles she would always wear. The way she would pout when Law told her he was busy. And the way she would hug him and laugh with pure joy like the only thing she wanted was to spend time with him.

All for someone like him. A pathetic boy who could do nothing to protect anyone, yet still protect his pitiful life, only through others' deaths. With his head held in his hands, the pirate cried silently. In his current situation, he managed to mumble,

"I'm sorry."

His apology was not even intended; it was simply out of impulse that as a captain he should apologize for showing such weakness in front of his crew. No shame was felt at all at crying openly though. Law still could not believe he just told them everything. He had doubted he even held the willpower to do so. The feelings in his heart were ambivalent. It felt like he was reliving his past with his emotions skyrocketing.

Skipped meals, restless nights, plentiful brooding time on the past—it seemed the stress of holding up a strong front for years finally took its toll. His head hurt, and his heart ached with pain that had grown over the years. To have it all expressed left him feeling utterly shocked. Law swayed in his seat before falling forward, his eyelids slowly closing.

"CAPTAIN!"

Some part of the doctor was still conscious as he registered being caught just in time. His limp body leaning against the figure, the man was certain it was Bepo. The Heart captain vaguely heard his crew mates' desperate calls as his body slowly succumbed to the darkness. Still, he managed to feel someone wipe away his tears. Whether it was Bepo, Shachi, or Penguin, Law didn't know. But he was certain about what he heard next.

"We're here for you, Captain. You won't ever have to go through anything alone again. We won't allow it. You're special to us, Captain. "

 _Shachi._

"Your pain is our pain, Captain. Just tell us how you feel. We promise we'll never abandon you. Trust us."

 _Penguin._

"We'll listen whenever you want to talk. Please don't feel like you have to apologize, Captain. We may not be your blood family, and we'll never replace them, but you're still family to us."

 _Bepo._

It was those words that put the dark doctor at ease and for the first time in years, he slept peacefully. His heart no longer ached. And maybe, the last few tears that rolled down his face were from utter happiness.

Before they were gently brushed away.

* * *

 **AN:** First One Piece story ever... I feel happy. I hope you enjoyed this! Let poor Law know he's not alone!


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